One reporter’s take on which NBA team has the best starting lineup

So you think the Celtics have the best starting lineup in the NBA? Well, Dime Magazine suggests they might have some competition for the honor. In an article penned by Andrew Macaluso, the merits of the C’s, Hawks, Mavericks, Lakers, and Magic are pointed out based off a numerical formula that looks solely at last year’s stats (hence, the reason for no Heat). Here is what Macaluso had to say about the Celtics:

When Kevin Garnettcame to Boston, they instantly turned into a defensive-minded team. How do you think they won an NBA title the same season? After logging 1,179 minutes last season, Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins posted a record of 38-19 (66.6 win percentage) with an Off of 1.13 and a Def of 1.00. Unfortunately, Perkins went down in the playoffs with a major knee injury, so what did the Celtics do? They went out and signed (and drafted) nothing but defensive players. With ‘Sheed Wallace retiring ‘ although he made their defense worse when he was in the lineup ‘ and even with Perkins out until February, I expect Shaq, J.O., Big Baby and rookieAvery Bradley, to help keep the Celtics’ defense in lockdown mode until Perkins comes back.